Found in Collection From the Archives and Collections of the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm Spring 2019 2. From the Archives and Collections of the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm Table of Contents Page 3 A Note From the Archivist Pages 4 A look back at the Dedication of the Rochester Hills Museum Page 4 Page 5 - 6 Matilda & Sarah Page 7 Preservation Update Pages 8-9 A trip to see the Queen Pages 5-6 Page 10 Behind the Scenes in the Archives Page 11 Elections of 1860 Page 7 Found in Collection is a phrase used in the Museum field to describe undocumented objects found within a Museum’s collections whose donor, history, and significance are unknown. These items pose the exciting (and sometimes frustrating) challenge of Pages 8-9 figuring out where they came from. Page 10 From the Archives and Collections of the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm 3. Hoosen Farmhouse. Last but most certainly not least, we A Note from the Archivist have had the pleasure of welcoming many new volunteers When I look back on and interns into the archives. These “neighbors” bring a this past year here at the new vitality to the Museum’s archives and collections. They Rochester Hills Museum at help us discover new things about our local history, make Van Hoosen Farm, the words our collections available online, and preserve everything of Sarah Van Hoosen Jones for this and the next generation. If anything, this newsletter come to mind. In describing is one of the ways to honor them and give them a chance her life on Van Hoosen to share the incredible things they do behind the scenes. Farm, she begins with “life I truly hope you enjoy reading about what we have all was very full” and continues been up to this past year. As always, my door (or email) is with “our life in a tiny village open for any questions, research requests and local history yielded the dropping in of artifacts you might have. neighbors quite frequently.” This describes exactly how I Sincerely, feel about this last year in the Museum’s archives and collections. With new exhibits on Samantha Lawrence the way, we have had our heads buried in the collections conducting research, checking facts, and locating Samantha Lawrence images and artifacts. We have also had the excitement [email protected] of completing several preservation projects in the Van 248.841.2673 4. From the Archives and Collections of the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm A Look Back at the Dedication of the Rochester Hills Museum Digitized and Compiled by Jordan Tolmie The Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm Avon Township (now Rochester Hills) for use as a was not always a museum. For five generations, local history museum. the Taylor and Van Hoosen Family lived in the Van Hoosen Farmhouse and owned most of the The Museum’s dedication came a couple years later land around Stoney Creek Village. In 1972, the last on a spring day in 1981. A group gathered in front of member of the Taylor-Van Hoosen family, Sarah the Farmhouse to celebrate the Museum’s opening Van Hoosen Jones, passed away that implemented and hear remarks from Avon Township Mayor Earl her final wish of giving the Van Hoosen Farmhouse, Borden, Congressman William S. Broomfield, and 350 acres, and several lots in Stoney Creek Village to Director of Michigan History Division Martha Bigelow. Michigan State University. Determined to preserve Here is a look back at one of the most significant days the legacy of the Taylor and Van Hoosen families, the in the 40-year history of the Rochester Hills Museum community rallied to save the Van Hoosen Farmhouse at Van Hoosen Farm! and in 1979, Michigan State gifted the Farmhouse to Mayor Earl Borden speaking at Audience watch the presenters the event Dr. Martha Bigelow speaking at the podium A crowd gathering in front of the A band of ‘BanjoPlayers’ farm house entertaining the crowd Dairy Barn from across the way Jordan Tolmie is a recent graduate from Central Michigan University earning a bachelor's degree in Public History with a minor in Museum Studies. She has always had a passion for public history and archives. Over the last three years, she has volunteered William Broomfield and Alice Serrel at several museums including the Rochester Hills stand next to Dedication Plaque Museum, Meadow Brook Hall, and Troy Historic Village. From the Archives and Collections of the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm 5. Educating the Next Generation: The Intersecting Lives of Matilda Dodge Wilson and Sarah Van Hoosen Jones By: Anthony DeMaggio Matilda Dodge Wilson and get away from Detroit. This is where Matilda and Sarah Van Hoosen Jones, Alfred Wilson relocated with their family, to build the two notable, philanthropic astounding Meadow Brook Hall, an 88,000 square foot women of Oakland County, home constructed between 1926-1929. It was built to accomplished incredible reflect the Tudor Revival architecture that Matilda fell feats in their lifetimes. in love with while visiting England, and contain over Their accomplishments 100 rooms. Anna Margaret Dodge, the youngest child included contributing to that was born from Matilda and John Dodge’s marriage, the field of animal husbandry passed away from complications of the measles in 1924 and genetics, making higher at a very young age, never occupying Meadow Brook education more accessible to the Greater Detroit area, Hall. Frances and Daniel Dodge would live in the home and ensuring that women were confident, empowered, with their own suite, including a guest bedroom, guest and heard. As a Museum Assistant at the Wilson’s bathroom, their own personal bathroom (Daniel having former home, Meadow Brook Hall for many years, gold-plated shower heads), and a secret play area for learning the story of Sarah Van Hoosen Jones and each child above their bedrooms. the Van Hoosen Farm was exciting. In this crossover of rich history on two powerful women of Oakland Matilda Wilson created a comfortable life for her family in County, I seek to find the similarities and mutual Rochester, Michigan, and was a very philanthropic woman community involvements between Sarah Van Hoosen in the greater Detroit area. A commitment that she was Jones and Matilda Dodge Wilson. particularly passionate about was supplying education to young adults. In 1957, Matilda and Alfred Wilson donated Matilda their estate and a sum of two million dollars to start the Matilda Rausch Dodge Wilson, born in Walkerton, educational institution originally named Michigan State Ontario in 1883 to German immigrants, could not University - Oakland, now known as Oakland University. have known throughout her childhood and teenage years that she would eventually become one of the Around the same time, another woman just 14 miles away richest women in the United States. Before working in Stoney Creek Village was also expressing a passion and for ultimate auto-tycoon John Dodge in 1902, Rausch commitment to the education of young adults. attended and graduated from Gorsline Business College in Detroit, Michigan, making her qualified for Sarah the position she held at the Dodge Motor Company. Sarah Van Hoosen Jones was born in 1892 to Alice Eventually falling in love, Dodge and Rausch married Van Hoosen and Joseph Jones on her grandparents five years later in 1907. Matilda and John Dodge farm in Stoney Creek Village, Michigan. Though she gave birth to three children; Frances, Daniel, and had a father, he died when she was young and Sarah Anna Margaret. When John and Horace Dodge, the was raised by her mother, Alice, and her aunt, Bertha co-founders of Dodge Motor Company, attended Van Hoosen. During Sarah’s childhood, starting at the New York Auto Show, they both fell ill with the age 8, she suffered from a series of medical problems. Spanish influenza and died the same year in 1920. During this time, her distraught mother attempted Matilda inherited John’s share of the Dodge Brothers to keep Sarah from contact with other people and Motor Company, becoming one of the wealthiest moved the small child each time neighbors became women in the country. too friendly. While her Aunt Bertha wrote to her as much as she could while running a busy medical With her new found fortune, she moved to the practice at the same time in Chicago, Sarah, for countryside with her family and new husband, the most part, had a very lonely childhood. The Alfred Wilson, a lumber baron, who she met through brightest times of her youth were spent in Oakland the Presbyterian Church in Detroit, Michigan. County, Michigan at Van Hoosen Farm. There, she The property located in Rochester, Michigan, was found genuine happiness working with animals, purchased by John Dodge before his death as a and made it her ultimate goal to run the farm one 6. From the Archives and Collections of the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm day. When she eventually earned her bachelor’s A large part of their shared interests revolved around degree in foreign languages from the University of Michigan State University - Oakland (MSU-O). Chicago, her aunt Bertha and mother Alice decided Matilda and her husband, Alfred, founded the that she would continue her studies and enter medical University in 1957, by donating their estate and two school. Sarah’s first thought was pondering how long million dollars. On November 7, 1956, Sarah donated she would have to run her own practice before she her estate to Michigan State University as a place could purchase a farm of her own.